Creating Opportunities For Women In The Chemical Engineering Industry

Chemical engineers use their knowledge in subjects like chemistry, biology and physics to pave the way for businesses in various industries. Companies that deal with fuel, chemicals, drugs and food all benefit from the work that chemical engineers do.

While both men and women do work jobs in the industry, there are some disparities between the gender’s experiences. If you own a business in the chemical engineering sector, you need to understand these differences to improve your company. Read this post to learn more about chemical engineering itself and about women working in the advancing industry.

The Facts

There is a significant gender imbalance in the chemical engineering industry. This incongruity starts during education. The number of female undergraduates majoring in chemical engineering is lower than the amount of male undergraduates. Furthermore, the number of females who graduate with their degrees in chemical engineering is even lower. Thus, the number of women pursuing MBA engineering degrees is low as well.

Previously, in a study conducted in the US in 2011, the gender gap in this industry was shockingly outlined. It discovered that of 5,500 women with engineering degrees, four out of 10 either didn’t pursue an engineering career after graduating or had since left the profession.

Despite the negatives, however, the study did throw out some positives, with 98% of female engineers finding their job rewarding. After all, who doesn’t enjoy building and making things with gadgets from the likes of RS Components?

Professionals also highlighted what needed to be done to entice more women into this field. These highlights included having more inspirational teachers who could help steer young girls into a career in engineering. The majority of people surveyed stated that they think we need a greater awareness of femile engineers. But has anything changed?

Change

Unfortunately, change does not come easily. This is particularly true when it comes to gender discrimination. According to professionals, very few industries have been able to sustain the continuous lack of balance at large scale.

One of the most widely known issues that professionals in the field are targeting is the gender pay gap. As a business owner, you are likely well aware of how much employees desire to earn the same pay as their colleagues. The gender pay gap is a huge issue. It is something many companies and industries have actively tried to combat. Despite executive efforts, the gender pay gap still exists. However, in chemical engineering, the gender pay gap appears to be closing among younger employees.

Successful Women

While this is great news, there is still much to be done across the board for women in the workplace, especially those with chemical engineering aspirations. Female chemical engineers still desire equal pay. They also want more young women to stop fearing entering a male-dominated industry.

Small business owners and owners of large enterprises alike can change the path for women in the chemical engineering industry. As a business owner in the sector, you can make a difference by hiring based on knowledge and skill rather than gender. Since there are significantly more women working in the industry today than there were years ago, it seems that many companies have taken this step forward. Obviously, there’s a way to go, but with change on the rise, it appears the industry is on the right path.